Field of the Invention
The present application relates generally to aircraft and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to unmanned aerial vehicles, featuring modular construction, that are suitable for a wide range of flight speeds and payload weights.
History of the Related Art
Various types of aircraft are important in a wide assortment of applications. Unmanned aerial vehicles, in particular, have become increasingly prevalent. Unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as “drones,” are aircraft that operate without a human flight crew on board. The flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle is remotely controlled by a pilot on the ground. Such unmanned aerial vehicles serve a wide range of applications in the commercial, defense, intelligence, conservation, and research communities. Unmanned aerial vehicles often present fewer operational and safety challenges than conventional manned aircraft. For example, unmanned aerial vehicles may journey into environments that would be hazardous to a human flight crew. In addition, unmanned aerial vehicles may embark on missions of longer duration than could be accomplished with a human flight crew. Due to their assortment of potential applications, unmanned aerial vehicles may be designed with a wide array of sizes, payload capacities, and operational characteristics.
Of particular importance in the design of an unmanned aerial vehicle, is ensuring that the aircraft is suitable for safe, controllable, and stable flight over a range of applications. Such considerations impact the design of fuselage and wing components, control surfaces, payload areas, motor components, and landing gear. Low-speed flight conditions, particularly, present a number of design challenges. An unmanned aerial vehicle designed for low-speed flight must be lightweight with a high-power motor. In addition, the aircraft must feature a large-surface-area wing, which generates a high degree of lift. Further, the aircraft must have large control surfaces.